When you get down to it, like everything else in America today, this is about the haves and the have-nots. If you’re in first class, you don’t need to worry about shock troops coming and beating you until you get out of the seat that you bought. If you’re not in first class, you’re on your own. If you’re in the top one percent on Wall Street, you turn a tidy profit off the whole ordeal. This is what class warfare looks like.

Also… I did not look that much into it, but… the passenger was beaten up by regular, actual police, am I right? Called by the airline.

I wasn’t aware of this feature in the penal code where a company can order the police around and they’ll act as free enforcers up to and including physical violence even where there is not even the inkling of a crime (yes, I know…).

< ![CDATA[Also... I did not look that much into it, but... the passenger was beaten up by regular, actual police, am I right? Called by the airline.
I wasn't aware of this feature in the penal code where a company can order the police around and they'll act as free enforcers up to and including physical violence even where there is not even the inkling of a crime (yes, I know...).]]>

I can’t remember who it was, but one lawmaker suggested an interesting idea. One that would finally make the “free market” work for the little guy. She suggested that involuntary bumping banned, requiring the airline to raise their offer until someone volunteers to give up their seat. I wonder how torn my libertarian and Republican friends would be about a power shift like this that puts both parties on equal footing?

< ![CDATA[I can't remember who it was, but one lawmaker suggested an interesting idea. One that would finally make the "free market" work for the little guy. She suggested that involuntary bumping banned, requiring the airline to raise their offer until someone volunteers to give up their seat. I wonder how torn my libertarian and Republican friends would be about a power shift like this that puts both parties on equal footing?]]>

Kelly Johnson I read an article about a woman flying on Delta where they pretty much did that. She negotiated them up to $1,400 or so per member of her family.

You can also demand cash, by law. You don’t have to settle for travel vouchers.

It’s all insane. These are multi-billion-dollar mega-corporations. There should be no limit to compensation, and no recourse to using law enforcement. Even paying a customer $10,000 cash to deplane is barely even a rounding error for them.

< ![CDATA[Kelly Johnson I read an article about a woman flying on Delta where they pretty much did that. She negotiated them up to $1,400 or so per member of her family.
You can also demand cash, by law. You don't have to settle for travel vouchers.
It's all insane. These are multi-billion-dollar mega-corporations. There should be no limit to compensation, and no recourse to using law enforcement. Even paying a customer $10,000 cash to deplane is barely even a rounding error for them.]]>

Yeah, there’s currently no legislation for compensation for voluntary de-planing, so that’s already negotiable. For involuntary de-planing they must pay you 2 or 4 times the price of your ticket, depending on the length of the flight. I would think that would also cap what they’re willing to offer a volunteer unless they care more about image than money.

The proposed law would make involuntary de-planing unlawful and force the airline to negotiate every time. I’d be all for this, the seats would go for what passengers truly think they are worth. And airline goons would not be allowed to remove you from your seat against your will.

All I know is that the moment the flight crew steps onto my plane looking for volunteers I’m filming until we depart.

< ![CDATA[Yeah, there's currently no legislation for compensation for voluntary de-planing, so that's already negotiable. For involuntary de-planing they must pay you 2 or 4 times the price of your ticket, depending on the length of the flight. I would think that would also cap what they're willing to offer a volunteer unless they care more about image than money.
The proposed law would make involuntary de-planing unlawful and force the airline to negotiate every time. I'd be all for this, the seats would go for what passengers truly think they are worth. And airline goons would not be allowed to remove you from your seat against your will.
All I know is that the moment the flight crew steps onto my plane looking for volunteers I'm filming until we depart.]]>